Air-inflated building structure



Oct. 11, 1966 D. c. MARQUEZ AIR-INFLATED BUILDING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 14, 1964 IN VE N T 0/? DAN/V Y 61 MAROUE Z fiflwdfi w Oct. 11, 1966 D. c. MARQUEZ AIR-INFLATED BUILDING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1964 33 was //VVEN7'0/? QA/VN Y 6. MARQUEZ M w I @4AZU AT RNEYS United States Patent 3,277,615 AIR-INFLATED BUILDING STRUCTURE Danny C. Marquez, Portland, Oreg., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Interior Filed Apr. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 360,183 3 Claims. (Cl. 522) The invention herein described and claimed may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates to an improved air-supported housing structure having particular utility as a temporary or semipermanent shelter of relatively large capacity. Structures of this type are generally made by assembling an appropriate number of sturdy, flexible fabric sheets, fashioned as matching sections, to form an integral enclosure having a base rim portion adapted to be fastened to a rigid foundation. Ai-r pressure built up under the enclosure by centrifugal blowers or the like, aids in maintaining the assembled sections aloft and fully expanded over the area within the confines of the foundation. Detailed disclosures of typical air supported housing structures heretofore known, are given in Patent No. 3,042,051, issued July 3, 1962, to J. B. Mauldin, and Patent No. 3,116,746, issued January 7, 1964, to W. W. Bird.

In the construction of any air-supported housing it is essential that airtight seals be furnished to unite the separate fabric sections making up the integral covering defining the housing structure proper, as well as to accomplish the attachment between the housings base rim and the foundation. Such airtight seals, as constituted in an air-supported housing according to the present invention, are singularly effective in that the ease with which they are employed as highly reliable closure connections, considerably facilitates erecting and dismantling this housing. Moreover, the unique air seal arrangement used at the housings base rim allows nearly every part of the base rim which is attached to the foundation to share equally the mechanical stresses due to the internal pressure upon the enclosing fabric. In addition, the air seal means applicable to accomplish the several junctures between the housings fabric sections make possible uniformly stressed positive connections for uniting these relatively large structural parts comprising the housing.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an inflatable housing structure characterized by integral parts thereof which permit the housing to be rapidly and economically erected or dismantled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air inflatable building having air sealing parts thereof which additionally function to uniformly distribute structural stresses inherent in a construction of such building.

These and other objects of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention considered together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an air-supported housing constructed and arranged according to the present invention;

3,277,615 Patented Oct. 11, 1966 ice FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary section of a seal juncture uniting elemental segments of the housings fabric structure;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary section of a structural member usable in the juncture of FIG. 2;

'FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1, showing in detail a base rim seal comprising the hold-down arrangement of the housing structure according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view of devices constituting the arrangement of FIG. 4, illustrating the manner in which this arrangement is accomplished; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary showing, partly .in section, of a structural association in a connection between elements of the fabric sealing juncture of FIG. 2, and an element of the housing hold-down arrangement, shown in FIG. 4, facilitating reception of the juncture structure within the base rim seal of the hold-down arrangement.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention is seen to comprise a housing structure 12 rising above its base rim 13, which is attached to a low-lying foundation wall or base curbing 15. In essence, housing 12 is an assembly of four specially shaped flexible sheets 17, =19, 21 and 2 3, prefera'bly made of flame-resistant, high strength, vinyl-coated nylon fabric, although other similar materials may be used. Preparatory to inflating housing in to produce the expanded form shown in FIG. 1, sheets 17, 19, 21 and 23 are joined to fashion the integral fabric cover of the housing, and provisions are madeto effectuate the attachment of the housings base rim 13 to foundation wall 15. Housing 12 is also furnished with such auxiliary structures as are necessary to supply it with air under pressure, and facilitate admittance and egress of personnel and equipment thereto. Included among such structures are an air lock, several fan housings and personnel doors. As represented in FIG. 1, the air lock entrance is seen as an extended rectangular structure 26, joined to one end of housing '12 by a short reinforcedair duct curtain connection 27. Similar air duct connections to the housing are provided for fan housings and personnel doors singularly represented in FIG.-1 by numerals 28 and 29, respectively. Further showings of such adjuncts to air-supported structures are found in the aforementioned patent to Mauldin, and in Patent No. 3,059,655, issued October 23, 1962, to W. W. Bird.

Referring now to the detailed showing of FIG. 2, it will be seen that the adjacent edges of sheets 21 and 23 are doubled back and sewn with heavy machinestitches 30 and 31 to form extended hems 3-2 and 33, respectively. A relatively wide, extended slot 34 confined within hem 32, is entered at regular intervals along the peripheraledge of the hem by a plurality of open slits 35. A corresponding wide slot 37 confined within hem 33 is similarly entered at regular intervals along its extended edge by a plurality of open slits 39. Loosely fitted within each of the slots 34 and 37 are a number of rod-like lacing bars of which two, designated 40 and 42, are partly shown in FIG. 2. As best seen in FIG. 3, each such lacing bar has projecting from a central peripheral portion thereof, an eye element 45, of substantial thickness.

To properly locate lacing bars in slots 34 and 37, as shown in FIG. 2, whereby they facilitate the binding of hems 32 and 33, the latter are brought together while keeping their corresponding open slit-s 35 and 39 aligned at a slight offset between slits. A lacing bar can thereafter be easily inserted through one open slit and pushed, by means of a rod or clamping tool, along the slot of the hem until eye element 45 of the bar is aligned with the adjoining slit through which the eye elements is then caused to protrude. The same procedure is followed to place lacing bars all along both adjoining hems. In this manner eye element 45 of each bar is exposed through a slit while the rod portions of the separate bars are held in the fold of the hem to provide them with solid anchoring on the fabric of the sheet structure associated therewith. The lengths of the individual lacing bars are slightly shorter than the spacing between the open slits in order that the bars be free from rubbing end to end, and to gain flexibility in the direction of the seam constituting their enclosing hem. A latching cord 47, made of material having substantial strength, is pulled through the aligned openings in each pair of over-lapping eye elements 4'5, and knotted thereover, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

The laced bond between the sheet structures is subsequently sealed by means of a continuous overlying band 50, and band lock strip 52. As seen in FIG. 2, the back edge portion of band 50 is bound to sheet 23 by the hem stitching 31, and a corresponding edge portion of lock strip 52 is similarly secured to sheet 21 by the hem stitching 30. Machine stitched to the front edge of band 50 is a further strip 54, having formed thereon as integral part thereof, upwardly facing, reversely inclined saw-tooth ribbing 55. The front edge of lock strip 52 is indentically formed with saw tooth ribbing 57 which is disposed facing downwardly so as to be adapted to smoothly and substantially completely engage ribbing 55. Strips 52 and 54 can be bonded to band 50 and sheet 21, respectively, instead of being stitched thereto.

Band 50 constitutes the making of a covering seal when laid over the laced connection between sheets 21 and 23, such that its ribbing 55 is positioned for engagement with lock strip ribbing 57. The saw-teeth segments of the respective ribbings are initially meshed so that they would thereafter become tightly wedged or locked together when the air structure is inflated and the upward pressure of the hems upon band 50 and strips 52 and 54, cause them to stress their juncture. It should therefore be evident, from the construction already described, that the material stresses developed in the fabric of sheets 21 and 23 by the force of air pressure thereon, are transmitted by the lacing ties made at the plurality of eye elements 45, to the lacing bars which uniformly distribute the stresses to the double layers of fabric constituting the hems. Consequently, by-means of .the construction described, a highly effective, continuous air seal is established when the heme are caused to move up against their overlying covering band and the meshing, locking parts thereof. Continuous, sealed junctures between the adjoining seams of sheets 17, 19 and 21, shown in FIG. 1, are similarly accomplished by the use of tied lacing bars, and overlying bands secured by interlocking meshing parts thereof, as was heretofore described.

Reference to FIG. 4 shows the structure provided by the present invention for fastening the air-supported housings base rim 13 to foundation wall or curbing 1-5, as including a clamp device 60 embedded in wall 15, and a beaded fitting 63 constituting the part of the base rim gripped by the clamp. Clamp device 60 cornprises a hollow channel member 64, having an essentially square cross-section which is seen in FIGS. 4 and to be defined by two sides elements 65 and 66, a base element 67, and two shorter segments 68 and 69 constituting the top part of the channel. A pair of outwardly bent anchor straps 70 and 71, respectively, are fixed to the outer surfaces of channel sides 65 and 66 and buried within the substance of wall whereby they positively hold chand nel 64 from displacement out of a position in which upper channel segments 68 and 69 are maintained flush with an upper surface 62 of well 15.

Provided for an operative association with channel 64 is keeper-wedge block 72, which as may be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, is uniquely fashioned to fit into the channel along with the beaded fitting 63 of base rim 13, and securely retain housing 12 in place when it is appropriately inflated for use. A beaded fitting 63 is furnished all along the rim defining the external edges of the several flexible fabric sheets comprising housing 12. I his fitting is fabricated by merely turning up and machine stitching a relatively narrow edge section of material to the fabric sheet so as to form a hem 75 defining within it a continuous slot 76. A rounded dowel element 78, which is adapted to loosely fit in slot 76, is used to substantially fill the slack of the hem to create the beaded appearance thereof. Particular dowels 78, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 5, have a turned down section 79, for a purpose to be hereinafter more fully explained. Wood or other like substances are suitable for use in making dowels 78, which are produced in convenient lengths so that they can be arranged end to end in slot 76. A number of vertical slits may be provided along the edge of hem 7-5 to facilitate the placement of the dowels.

Keeper-wedge blocks 72, also made of wood or any other like substance, are produced in lengths which correspond singularly or aggregately to the lengths of the dowels. The cross-section view of a wedge block, as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, reveals its peculiar eight sided shape to include an upper surface 83, a side surface 84, perpendicularly disposed to surface 83, and a surface inclined with respect to the aforesaid upper and side surfaces. The three longer surfaces noted are joined to form an integral block by two relatively short surfaces 86 and 87 disposed parallel -to surface 83, two equal length surfaces 88 and 89 disposed parallel to side surface 84, and a further inclined surface 90, disposed parallel to surface 85.

Utilization of the fastener structure hereinabove disclosed, permits the attachment of the housings base rim 13 to foundation wall 15 to be conveniently accomplished by a few relatively simple manipulations of such structure. Since the several fabric sheets of housing 12 are loosely supported prior to inflation of the housing, the enlarged or dowel containing part of fitting 63 can be easily lowered through an opening in the exposed upper side of the channel defined between the segments 68 and 69 thereof. As is evident from the showing of channel 64 in FIGS. 4 and 5, the respective end portions of its segments 68 and 69 are bent down and turned inwardly to form lips slightly curved toward the opposite vertical sides of the channel. By such means, channel member 64 obtains an unobstructed passage which facilitates placing fitting 63 therethrough on to base element 67, and against side element 68, of the channel.

When fitting 63 is situated in the channel as hereinabove described, its enlarged end is sufliciently removed from the channel passage to permit keeper-wedge block 72 to be thereafter guided through this passage. It is clear from FIG. 5, that the blocks incline-d surfaces 85 and 90, facilitate its movement down past the lip of channel segment 69. When block 72 is positioned so that its short ledge surface 86 is stationed just below the lip adjacent thereto, it is shifted laterally toward the channels side 66, whereby the blocks surface 84 is made to contact this vertical side while the blocks lowest surface 87 rests upon the channels base portion 67. It should now be evident that subsequent inflation of housing 12, which eventually acts to stress the fabric of the housing sheets, consequently becomes effective to draw fitting 63 upwardly as shown in FIG. 4, causing the fittings hem 75 to be forcibly wedged inwardly such that one side of the hem is pressed against the channels side 65, and the lip of its segment 68, and the other side pressed against surfaces 85 and 88 of block 72. In this manner an exceptionally tight sealing action is achieved between fitting 63 and clamp device 60, wherein hem 75 is gripped between dowel 78, and the channel and block structures. Moreover, because this gripping action follows from the upward stress on the housing fabric, it locks ledge surface 86 of the block under the curved lip of channel segment 69, whereby block 72 cannot be dislodged as long as the housing is maintained inflated.

A flexible flap 92, made of the hereinbefore described fabric, is machine stitched to the fabric of the housing sheets a short distance above hem 75, such that it extends down over the outside, or weather side surface of the curbing or foundation wall 15. A wedge 94, of wood, plastic or the like, fixed as an insert in the outer surface of Wall 15, provides an anchoring support for the extended edge of flap 92. Enough fabric is provided in this fiap to allow it to be loosely laid over the edge of wall before it is fastened to wedge 94 by means of a molding strip 95. Flap 92 functions as a dust shield for the clamping arrangement thereunder.

As is evident from the disclosure herein, hem 75 is continuous all along base 13 of housing 12, and blocks 72. along with dowels 78, are made in various lengths that are set end to end to follow the hem in appropriate co-rnbinations which accommodate them to the straight portions of the base rim, as well as the curved portions thereof. Particular dowels 78 are formed, as illustrated in FIG. 6, to provide turned down sections 79 of suitable length to receive therein the additional thickness of the fabric materials constituting the vertical hems 32 and 33 of the juncture between the sheets described in connection with FIGS. 1 to 3 which define the portions of slot 76 wherein such dowels reside. By this unique construction the short base edge portions of the sealed vertical seams present to the gripping action of clamp 60, an outer surface around a dowel which is substantially even with the outer surface of the extended hem portions of the housings sheets. Consequently, a more uniform, and hence a more effective clamping action is achieved completely around base rim 13 of the housing. As would be expected, the lacing bars of the vertical seams extend down only to an area closely adjacent to the dowels just above where the hem beings to curve about the dowel.

By merely reversing the hereinbefore described assembly procedure for housing 12, the latter is readily dismantled. After the unfastening of dust shield 92 from wedge 94, and the deflation of the housing, it becomes necessary only to gently urge fitting 63 to a lowered position in the hollow of channel 64, to free keeper block 72 for removal from the channel. Since the bulk of fitting 63 is thereby moved out of the path of block 72, ledge surface 86 of the block is easily tilted down and out from under the lip of channel segment 69. Keeper block 72 is thus freed for withdrawal up through the passage between channel segments 68 and 69, whereby this passage becomes unobstructed to permit the expeditious removal of fitting 63 from the channel structure. Similarly, the vertical seams between the housing sheets are taken apart by reversing the hereinbefore described procedure applied to assemble them. Band 50 is released by lifting lock strip 52 out of the bands ribbing 55, to gain access to the laced juncture thereunder. Upon untying lacing cord 47, the eye elements 45 are made separable to facilitate a parting of the housing sheets in an obvious manner.

The present invention can be particularly advantageous when adapted for use as a housing for a radar installation, or a long range radio receiver, or high voltage power supply equipment. In these adpatations metallic materials cannot be tolerated in the housings covering structure, although metal parts may be used in the structure attaching the housings base rim to the foundation or base curbing. Therefore, in addition to making the covering sheets from coated nylon fabric, the lacing bars are made of molded plastic or similar non-metallic material, the lacing cords are made of nylon, and the locking parts for the overlying band sealing the vertical seams are made of extruded plastic materials.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it is understood that the invention is not limited thereby, but is susceptible to change in form and detail.

What is claimed is:

1. In an air-supported building structure, a rigid foundation, a plurality of adjoining flexible sheets, a plurality of means uniting said sheets to each other and to said foundation to form a continuous ooverture over said foundation, said plurality of uniting means comprising first juncture devices operatively connected to adjacent edges on said adjoining sheets and including a hem extending along each said adjacent edge defining by the inner surfaces of overlying parts thereof a continuous slot having a multiplicity of spaced slits in the fold edge thereof, elongated bar elements having connect-or elements extending from central portions thereof, said bar elements residing in said continuous slots whereby said connector elements project through said slits, lacing means binding contiguous connector elements projecting from said adjacent edges, second juncture devices operatively connected to non-adjacent substantially aligned edges on said sheets and to said foundation, and including a hem extending along each of said non-adjacent edges defining by the inner surfaces of overlying parts thereof an elongated slot along each of said non-adjacent edge, a rigid, hollow channel member embedded in an upper surface of said foundation and comprising parallel segments defining a uniform passage between them leading into said channel and opening at the upper surface of the foundation, a multiplicity of dowel elements arranged end-to-end in said elongated slots forming a beading along said non-adjacent edges, said dowels each having a peripheral recess extending longitudinally along a central portion thereof and disposed in said elongated slots to span adjoining sheets such that the space within said recess accommodates end portions of said hems extending along said adjacent edges of said adjoining sheets and thus enables the presentation of a substantially smooth outside surface adjacent to and about said beading along substantially the entire length of said hem at said non-adjacent edges, said beading being arranged in the hollow of said channel member to cooperate With a multiplicity of multi-faced wedge elements set end-to-end in said channel member and effective therein to forcibly compress said substantially smooth outside surface into contact with said wedge elements and surfaces within said channel member.

2. The air supported building structure of claim 1, wherein air sealing elements are operatively associated with said adjacent edges of each said adjoining pair of sheets, said elements comprising a wide band having one edge thereof secured to one of said sheets of an adjoining pair and a second and opposite edge to which is fixed a first locking part, and a narrow strip having one edge thereof secured to the other of said sheets of said adjoining pair and a second and opposite edge to which is fixed a second locking part, said first and second locking parts having complementary, reversely inclined ribbed portions fitting together to form a plurality of extended uninterrupted sealing connections whereby said band and strip constitutes a sealed closure over said hems and the bound connectors.

3. In the building structure of claim 1 wherein said multi-faces of each said wedge elements comprise a plurality of bearing surfaces adapted to be cooperatively associated with said beading, and surfaces of said channel structure, said beading having a first position in the lower part of the channel hollow wherein the said wedge readily fits through said passage into said channel structure and rests loosely on said hem and beading thereof, and a second position in a higher part of said channel hollow wherein said wedge is locked in said channel structure by a bearing surface thereof coming into contact under one of said channel structure segments, and other bearing surfaces of said Wedge are forced into a pressured contact with said hem above and about said beading, and said channel structure, whereby said channel passage is partially obstructed by said wedge and withdrawal of said hem from the channel structure is checked.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED 8 Mauldin 135-1 Turner 135-1 Johnson 160-392 X Reitrneier 24-203 Schor et al 160-229 X Bird 135-1 Neumark 135-1 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany.

Examiners.

L. J. SANTISI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN AN AIR-SUPPORTED BUILDING STRUCTURE, A RIGID FOUNDATION, A PLURALITY OF ADJOINING FLEXIBLE SHEETS, A PLURALITY OF MEANS UNITING SAID SHEETS TO EACH OTHER AND TO SAID FOUNDATION TO FORM A CONTINUOUS COVERTURE OVER SAID FOUNDATION, SAID PLURALITY OF UNITING MEANS COMPRISING FIRST JUNCTURE DEVICES OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ADJACENT EDGES ON SAID ADJOINING SHEETS AND INCLUDING A HEM EXTENDING ALONG EACH SAID ADJACENT EDGE DEFINING BY THE INNER SURFACES OF OVERLYING PARTS THEREOF A CONTINUOUS SLOT HAVING A MULTIPLICITY OF SPACED SLITS IN THE FOLD EDGE THEREOF, ELONGATED BAR ELEMENTS HAVING CONNECTOR ELEMENTS EXTENDING FROM CENTRAL PORTIONS THEREOF, SAID BAR ELEMENTS RESIDING IN SAID CONTINUOUS SLOTS WHEREBY SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENTS PROJECT THROUGH SAID SLITS, LACING MEANS BINDING CONTIGUOUS CONNECTOR ELEMENTS PROJECTING FROM SAID ADJACENT EDGES, SECOND JUNCTURE DEVICES OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO NON-ADJACENT SUBSTANTIALLY ALIGNED EDGES ON SAID SHEETS AND TO SAID FOUNDATION, AND INCLUDING A HEM EXTENDING ALONG EACH OF SAID NON-ADJACENT EDGES DEFINING BY THE INNER SURFACES OF OVERLYING PARTS THEREOF AN ELONGATED SLOT ALONG EACH OF SAID NON-ADJACENT EDGE, A RIGID, HOLLOW CHANNEL MEMBER EMBEDDED IN AN UPPER SURFACE OF SAID FOUNDATION AND COMPRISING PARALLEL SEGMENTS DEFINING A UNIFORM PASSAGE BETWEEN THEM LEADING INTO SAID CHANNEL AND OPENING AT THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE FOUNDATION, A MULTIPLICITY OF DOWEL ELEMENTS ARRANGED END-TO-END IN SAID ELONGATED SLOTS 